The most common vaginal infections include vulvovaginal candidiasis, bacterial vaginosis, and trichomoneasis. While symptomatically these infections may appear quite similar, the particular pathogenic microorganism underlying each may vary widely. For instance, candidiases are caused by pathogenic strains of yeast belonging to the genera Candida or related strains belonging mainly to the genera of Torulopsis. Trichomoneasis, on the other hand, is caused by the parasite Trichomonas vaginalis, and the underlying cause of bacterial vaginosis often cannot be attributed to one specific etiologic agent. Moreover, often these pathogens are common and/or benign, and only under opportune conditions will they become pathogenic. For instance, the species Candida albicans is the most common fungal pathogen of humans and one of the most common microorganisms isolated from blood cultures. Depending upon underlying host health and condition, benign C. albicans may become virulent and cause infections ranging from vulvovaginal candidiasis to life-threatening disseminated candidiasis that is able to infect virtually every organ of the host.
While the pathogens causing these types of vaginal infections may vary widely, they often share common traits. For instance, many of these pathogens express common enzymes including a variety of proteases, i.e., peptidases and proteinases. Moreover, expression of particular proteases is often upregulated by the pathogenic form of the causative agent (see, e.g., Lorenz, et al., Eukaryotic Cell, 3, pp. 1076-1087 (2004)).
In many cases, self-treatment of these diseases is possible, but this requires an accurate diagnosis early in the disease process. What is needed in the art are accurate yet relatively simple methods and devices for recognizing the presence of pathogens that cause such diseases. For instance, a device that could provide a self-diagnosis route for the presence of opportunistic C. albicans could be of great benefit to consumers.